Treating apparatus



June 27, 1939. M. VIDAVER:

TREATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'Assem IIINNIIIHIHI lNVl'ENTOR Maxwell Pidal/er BY amm MAL ATTORNEYS June 27, 1939.` M. VID/WERL TREATING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1956 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 INVI ENTOR jiu/ruff!! Faim/@ MINI IIIIHHIIIIIHIIIIIIIII lllllllllIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIHIIIIIW ATTORNEYS Patented June 27, 1939 PATENT OFFICE TBEATIN G APPARATUS I Maxwell vidave'r, New York, N. Y. Application December 24, 1936, Serial No. 117,471

comms.

This invention relates to a structurally and A functionally improved cooking or heat-treating apparatus, and in its more specific aspects aims to .provide a unit of this character which will be of primary utility in the conditioning and heating of foods.

It is an object of the invention to furnish an apparatus of this character and which may use any desired and practicable source of heat,.and which apparatus, whenthe material being treated is brought to aproper condition, will automatically discontinue such treatment. Consequently, the vapparatus will function automat-v ically and be free from objections which have heretofore been levelled against similarapparatus and in which merely a time control has been employed for the purpose of terminating the treatment.

Considering one, and in certainrespects the preferred, embodiment of the invention, it is a further object to furnish a toaster which will embodyv mechanism such that, after the slice of bread has 'been brought to aproper and desired condition, heat treatment thereof will be automatically discontinued. As a consequence, the operatorwithout having constantly to observe the functioning of the mechanism-will be able to place complete reliance upon the apparatus and know that each slice of bread or similar unit will be brought to a predetermined and proper condition 'before the apparatus discontinues treatment of the same. Thus, objections due to an article such as a slice of bread being under-done or charred, will be completely overcome.

An additional object is that of Vproviding an lapparatus by means of which the foregoing resuits may be achieved, and which apparatus will embody relatively few parts, each individually simple and rugged in construction, these parts operating over long periods-of time with freedom from all diflicuities.

With these and other objects in. mind, reference is had to 'the attached sheets of drawings illustrating practical embodiments of the invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an end view of one form of apparatus; Fig. 2 is a sectional side view thereof taken along, the lines 2-2 and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in-Fig. 1;

Fig.' 3 is a sectional plan view taken along the lines 3-3 and in the direction of thevarrows as indicated in Fig. 2;

Fig. i is anv enlarged fragmentary perspective view of-one form of mechanism which may cause proper operation of the unit; and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation with certain of the parts'broken away to disclose underlying construction, but showing an electrical heating unit sa in association therewith.

(ci. 12e-4.1)

In these views, the numeral I0 indicates a casing which may be supported upon a suitable base Hand which is provided with a front panel I2 lconnected to the main casing Ill by means of a hinge I3. A`spring I4 may conventionally be associated with this hinge and tend normally to swing panel I2 outwardly to a position at which Ait extendssubstantially parallel to base II. A ledge portion or portions I5 may be associated with the casing III and act as stops to( limit the swinging'movement of panel I2. y

Secured to the inner face of panel I2 vis a frame I6, 4which may be notched as at I1. .This frame defines a space adequate to receive a slice of bread I8 or other unit to be' heat treated, and 15 extending within the frame is a contact bar or member I9 which `is to engage the upper edge of the unit I8. It is, of course, to be understood that, as shown in Fig. 1. the upper face of the casing I0 is interrupted to .an extent such that the frame I6 will be free to swing outwardly with the panel I2. Ihe bar or member I9 is'mounted for sliding movement upon rods 20, which form a part of frame` I6, and thev outer end of this -member may be continued in the form of a handle portion 2|, which extends through' a slot in the panel I2. This handle portion-as best shown in Fig. vi-may have a slotted extension 22, within the slot of which a pin 23 rides. The pin is mounted upon an arm 24 having its inner end pivotally supported as-at 25. Such inner end has its periphery formed with an annular series of teeth 26' similar to a ratchet portion, and a toothed 'dog 21 engages with these teeth. 'This dog is pivotally mounted upon a shaft 28, and a spring 29 tends normally to urge the same into contact with teeth 26. A rod 30 may, of course, 'ce utilized as a stop member to limit the yswinging movement of dog 21, should such a construction be desired.

A plate 3I is pivotally mounted as at 32 and preferablyin line with the pivot of arm 24. This plate carries rod 30 as well as shaft 28, and may also carry a rod 33. Pivot 25 is supported bypanel I2. vAlso supported by this panel is a latch lever 34, which may be spring-actuated as at so as to normallytend to rotate in a c lockwise direction as viewedv in Fig. 4. Within casing I0 a .bar 36 is pivotally supported as at 31, and a spring 38 tends normally to swing the 50 outer end of this bar upwardly. This bar lies immediately to the rear ofthe front casing face, A 4and its body may be extended through an opening in the side face of the casing, as is best shown in Fig. 3. Both the panel I2 and the front face of casing III are formed with` an opening through which the latch portion of element 34 may extend. Consequently, with panel I2 in closed" position, latch element 34 engages bar 36 to maintain such position. -At this e0 time it ls tobe'observ'ed that element. 34 is preferably provided with an extensionll', which bears -in slidable contact with plate 3i, in which condition the latch engages with bar I8. l

Finally, itis to be -noted ethat as especially shown in Figs. 1 and 3. a knob $3 may liebeyon'd the side wall of the casing and be secured to a shaft 49'which has rotatablebearing in such wall. The inner en d of this shaft :mounts an eccentric 4I, which lies adjacent rod 33. It will accordingly be understood that by simply turning shaft 4u, plate 3i willbe around its pivotal support V32 so that extension 8d will Alie either closer to, or more ,remote from the edge ci plate 8|, Consequentlyf if plate 3i is at a more or less xed rate of speed, a lesser periodoi time will be consumed for extension l@ to ride beyond the plate edge, if cam 4i is adgas or a similar source of heat is employed. To.

- this end, base il may be formed with an opening through which ame jets t2 may act, these jets emanating from openings 3 in a. 'fuel pipe 6d. In the form of construction employed in Fig. 5, the casing it contains electrical resistance elements 85, which are controlled by a switch te The latter mayin tui-n be controlled by being provided with an actuating rod di, engaged hy a yohe memher, secured to panel i2, so that switch t@ will be open when the panel is in the position shown in Fig. 5, while this switch will be closed and the resistance elements iid will he energized when kthe panel is swung to a position at which it extends parallel to the end wall of the casing. f

Regardless, however, of the source oi heat uti--4 lized, and recognizing that some form of automatic or semi-automatic cut-ofin might he eni-r ployed in 'connection with the huid fuel burner in Figs. 1 rto 3, it will he appreciated that an operatorfproceeds as follows in utilizing the apparatus: y

The outer end of bar 36 is depressed, so that the latch head clears this bar. Accordingly, panel i2 will swing outwardly and downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5. By means of handle 2i, bar i9 is elevated to a point at which an article id may readily be disposed within frame id. Thereafter, handle 2i is moved towards the base of the unit and until bar le contacts the upper edge of the article i8. During such shifting of handle 2l, it is obvious that arm 2li will be rocked, but this will have no operative result. With the parts in the position just described, the panel i2 isswung so that frame it lies within the c as shown in Figs.` 1 to 3. In other words, latch element St is brought to a position at which it snaps over the bar. 3S. Pivot 32 is mounted by the casing and preferably within the same. Consequently, as panel l2 vis swung to its closed" position, the extension 3d' of latch element tt will bear against the face of plate Si. Moreover, the dog 21 will be caused to engage between a pair of the teeth 26. Consequently, the panel will remain in the position to `which it has been shifted.

It is to be remembered that bar it, handle 2i, and arm 2t, are, under the influence of gravity, tending to shift downwardly. The only reason will swing around pivot 2l.

f alessia that they cannot eil'ect suchlashift is because Y .the article il' is supporting the bar i9 against movement. However, under the action of heat from either the resistance elements 46 or jets 42, the' article will be'treated, and wills-as it appreaches a proper conditions-begin 4to shrink, Incident to such shrinkage. handle 2i will be permitted to move towards the base of frame i6.

Consequently, the tooth portion 26 of arm 24 Thus, plate Il will swing around pivot $2 and, upon a suiiicient degree of'movement havingv occurred. extension 38' will clear plate 3| and latch element 34 will accordingly shift out of engagement with bar 36 to allow the panel i2, under the iniluence of springY i4 or otherwise, to swing outwardly.

In the case of electrical resistances being employed, such outward movement may result in a 'disconnection of the heating elements from the source o1' electrical current supply. In the case oi uid i'uel, any suitable and functionally'similar expedient may be employed. However, in either instance, should the operator desire to vary the degree of treatment, this may readily be achieved simply by Aturning knob 88 -to shift cam ms numerous changes in con-v ement of the parts might he resorted to without departing from the spirit i. A toaster including a source of heat, a con tainer int-fc' d adjacent said source and to receive an article -to be treated. means contactible with said article to define one dimension of the e, means tending normally to shift said container out of operative association with such heat source, a latch for normally preventing such shift Y and. means responsive to a predetermined degree oi movement on the part of said defining means for releasing said latch.

2. A toaster including a source of heat, a container disposed adjacent. said source and to re..

ceive an article to be treated, means contactible with said article to. denne one dimension of the same, means tending normally to shift'said container out oi' operative association with'such heat source, a latch for normally preventing suchI shifting,.means responsive to a predetermined degree of movement on the part of said defining means for releasing said latch, and means for varying the degree of such movement.

. 3. A toaster including a source of heat, a con-.

tainer disposed adjacent said source and to receive an article to be treated, means contactible with said article to denne one dimension of the same, means tending normally to shift said container out oi operative association' with such heat 

